Delta Downs kicked off its closing weekend of live Thoroughbred racing on Friday night with an 11-race program that included the $80,000 Azalea for 3-year-old Louisiana-bred fillies.

The Azalea was won impressively by Cantrell Family Partnership’s La Mistake with jockey Gerard Melancon in the saddle for his first of two stakes tallies on the night. The Brett Brinkman trainee pressed the early pace set by longshot Ms Sassy Butclassy as she carved out fractional times of 23.25 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 47.71 for the half in the 6 ½-furlong test for horses who had never won a stakes race.

As the field of 10 entered the second turn of the race, La Mistake took the lead and began to draw clear. In the home-stretch she held a comfortable lead over Yes Gorgeous, who was a game second but no threat to the winner. On the finish line, La Mistake was 3-3/4 lengths in front of Yes Gorgeous while Fame Feather was another 6-1/4 lengths behind in third. La Mistake covered the distance in 1:20.13 while running on a fast track.

The win by La Mistake was the third of her four-race career. She earned $48,000 for the effort and now owns a bankroll of $96,600.

Bred in Louisiana by her owner, La Mistake is a 3-year-old bay daughter of Bind, out of the Lion Heart mare Guculka Ksenya.

Sent to the gate at odds of 4-5, La Mistake paid $3.80 to win, $3 to place and $2.10 to show. Yes Gorgeous was worth $5 to place and $3 to show. Fame Feather returned $2.60 to show.